Who Am I To Love?
by CameliaKitiji
Summary: Shizokai Atery is a royal fox demon forced to flee from her homeland. Taken into custody by Urameshi Yusuke, she is forced to help him and his fellows to save the human world. Will she find love along the way? I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho!
1. Underneath My Veil

Chapter 1: Underneath My Veil

My name is Atery; Shizokai Atery to be exact. I am currently in the human world incognito. I am wanted in the demon realm for an association with the bandit Yoko Kurama. This accusation is false in its entirety, of course. I've never even seen the bandit Yoko Kurama, but demons just assume that if you and your family are white foxes, then it must mean that we are either related or obliged to help other white foxes. Because that would make complete sense, right? I don't know the criminal and since he is a white fox demon like me, I must help him at all costs. What a load of shit! Well, I suppose I should start you guys out at the beginning of this adventure. Then you too can share in my anger.

Imagine my homeland: the southeastern fox tribe. We are the masters of water and air. We have been a peaceful tribe for many millennia due to our power and strength. The fox demons within this tribe are divided into many rankings, just like a normal society: farmers, hunters, crafters, guards, soldiers, generals, and the royal family. That was where I belonged. I was the youngest of the royal family. It wasn't a misfortune by any means. I enjoyed fooling my maid and escaping into town while my elder brother and I were supposed to be in training sessions.

I knew very well I was not supposed to be there. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I, as well as my family were white foxes and the rest were…well, different colors like red, black, and grey. My father used to tell me that our great grandfather fought against the other kings so that our family would be on top. That's right. My family used to be poor as dirt. We were not hunters because our coats would give us away, so most of our prey would escape. We were not farmers for we had no "green thumbs." We were almost thieves because we could barely manage to live, but we were never thieves. We made compromises with the other families, gaining friends. I was never told what the agreements consisted of, but I supposed it was to be something great since those families helped our family overthrow the current king and queen. It was then that the Shizokai rule began. My father is proud of our history, but I am slightly ashamed. True, great grandfather did it to make our family better off, but my father did not see that we were treating others no better than the kings we overthrew. That was the part that made me want to run away…but it wasn't the reason I did. I was forced to flee to the human world because of an attack on our tribe. Allow me to explain.

I suppose, looking back on it, it was a good thing that I escaped my training to wander through the streets of the town. I don't remember most of that day, actually. What I remember is a thunder-like sound radiating from our castle. I chased after the noise, concerned by all the worried expressions from the demons around me. When I made it to the castle, I observed the broken doors in horror. Something huge must have pounded straight through the large, wooden doors. I ran inside, feeling my heart race as I did so. There were guards slaughtered in the hallways and blood smeared in every direction almost as if something has bitten and torn their flesh off in chunks. Were these dog demons? What would they want with us?

I was taken from my thoughts by a shrill scream…my mother's scream. It sent chills down my spine and my flesh instantly felt cold and covered in goose bumps. Without actually thinking about it, I ran toward the noise and saw my mother pinned against the wall by her neck. The creature hurting her reminded me of a werewolf. It was large, primitive in its large facial features and it produced more growls and snarls than words. It sounded as if it was demanding something of my mother. I was, for lack of a better phrase; petrified in fear for not far from the beast were the bloodied bodies of my elder brother and father. I gasped and took a few steps back. The beast heard me and whipped its head around to leer at me. His eyes were red and thirsty. From his teeth dripped the blood of his victims. My initial reaction was that of disgust. What would possess something so hideous to destroy my family?

"Leave her alone, you bru—ach!" she choked. The beast gripped her throat and threw my mother to the floor behind him before he growled and hurled himself in my direction. What was I supposed to do? My chief weapon –my bladed fans- were in my chambers. I was defenseless. Until my mother, bless her soul, flew toward the black beast and used her body to shield mine. I remember the claw of the beast blasting through her chest just inches from my face. My mother's white fur was stained with her blood. It was such a horrifying experience. Her blood had splattered on my face as well. She wielded her blood into the monsters eyes. She was dying fast though. With every move of the claw, the beast cut deeper and deeper into her chest. I was only able to remember her last word: "Run."

So that's what I did. Without a word in return or an I love you, I ran through the corridors and to my chambers. The blood on the bottom of my sandals left a small trail, but I didn't want to take them off. I needed them for the journey ahead. I slammed the door of my chambers behind me and bolted it. I needed to stall him as long as I could. I grabbed one of my sacks that I had kept under my bed and stuffed it with clothes, some spare gold coins that I kept near my bookshelf, and my weapons: two bladed fans and wicked dagger.

In the distance I heard the angry cry of the beast and I took to the window. I was approximately 3 stories up. I was able to glance at the town below me. Apparently there were eight other beasts that were setting fires to the entire town. I stopped and watched. What in the River Styx was going on? There was a banging on my door. The beast had found my hiding place. I turned to face the door.

"You hid Kurama! The bandit who stole from our clan many moons ago. Prepare to die!" it growled at me from the other side of the door. It was then that my rage grew. _WE _hid Yoko Kurama? We hated that demon for tainting the fox demon name. But what was I to do? I couldn't fight him. He was too strong to handle if my brother and father could not slay him. Despite my anger, I had to flee. I had to come back when I was stronger and slaughter them all…I would not rest until I did.

I turned back to the window and clambered out of it. I stayed close to the wall, not wanting to fall from that height. I then shimmied to the next open window and hopped in. I was in the maid's chambers. She would have what I needed: portal dust. It was forbidden long ago for portal dust to be distributed so that demons could not pass into the human world, but my maid had confiscated it from my brother when he "found it" in the market place one day. At what cost, I couldn't tell you, but it was probably most of his inheritance.

I heard the crashing of my door down the hall and the angered howl of my pursuer. This was not going to end well. I found the portal powder and smashed its jar container to the ground. The powder flew up and surrounded me. I didn't know what to do with it exactly. Maybe calling out where I wanted to go would be a good start. "Bring me to the human world," I said aloud. My voice cracked as if I had not spoken in years. I winched at its sound, but the powder seemed to register it anyway. It swirled around in a blue, tornado-like swirl and at its center, it was black. There was an obnoxious smell emanating from it, but I jumped in anyway, hoping that it would take me somewhere far from here.

I remember hitting my head against something very hard like stone. I opened my eyes and saw that I was lying in an alleyway. The sky was a dark blue. It must be their nighttime. Sitting up and resting my back against the wall near me, I looked at the portal…where my home was being destroyed. The portal whirled and closed slowly. I watched it intently, knowing that I might never go back to the demon plane. My heart ached and for the first time, I felt tears rush down my face. It was a relief to be out of harm's way, but my family was dead. My tribe was suffering. I was the only one who had escaped…

I heard footsteps coming from the alleyway entrance. I jumped up and peered into the face of a human boy. He had on a black, long-sleeved t-shirt, baggy, black pants and a long, black trench coat. On his head rested a grey beanie with white stripes. I looked down at myself. I was still wearing blood-stained white shirt and long, grey pants. My slippers were a bit dirty, but they looked like I just stepped in a big mud puddle or something…if that puddle would have been red…I realized that my white hair was striking to look at, not to mention my white fox ears and tail were clearly visible at the moment. I had not yet conjured up enough energy to hide them yet.

I heard the man gasp as if frightened by a ghost. I realized that I had to stop him from screaming. If he yelled out about this incident, then I wouldn't be safe any longer. I lunged for him and tackled him to the ground. He squirmed beneath me, but I was able to knock him out before he caused me harm. I dragged him farther into the alley before I decided to take his trench coat and put it on. I buttoned up enough to hide my shirt before I took his beanie and placed it upon my head. I turned. My tail was easily covered and the beanie covered my ears, but I had to keep them almost flat against my head. It wasn't that painful, but it just meant that I wouldn't be able to hear as well as I would have wanted.

I pulled my waist-long, white hair from the coat and let it dangle where it pleased. I had to get out of this area pronto. So I dug through my bag for a gold coin and tossed it on the man's lap. Then that I walked out of the alleyway and into the street. There were not many people around at the time. That was a good thing. I raced across the street and up a rather long flight of stairs. I was almost exhausted when I reached the top. And there rested a traditional Japanese home. It wasn't that that concerned me. For behind the home rested a vast amount of land with trees. Surely this would be an excellent place to hide.

"What are you doing here, girl?" croaked a voice. I stepped back in shock. How had I let this old woman creep up on me? She was short, with light, pink hair. She didn't look like much, but I had a gut feeling that she could and would do serious damage to me.

I gulped and bowed to her in respect. "I am sorry, ma'am, but I was running away from danger."

"Hm. You seem like a pathetic demon to be running around in the human world like that. Why don't you explain this to me inside? I have tea on the stove and I don't want it to be unattended."

Every cell of my body went cold. My heart almost stopped. I straightened up and looked at the woman. How had she known I was a demon? What in the hell was going on? I stood frozen. What was I to do next?

A/N: I love when people give me feedback. I know I haven't gone into much of the YYH realm quite yet, but this was just to get the character into position so I wouldn't have to repeat it later on in the story. Just let me know what you think! Kay?


	2. Meeting the Team

Chapter 2: Meeting the Team

_Every cell of my body went cold. My heart almost stopped. I straightened up and looked at the woman. How had she known I was a demon? What in the hell was going on? I stood frozen. What was I to do next? _

"Hurry up, don't make me slap you upside the head, girl," she snorted. The old lady folded her hands behind her back and walked toward the home. What was I to do? Just stand there like an idiot? Hell no! I'm still a demon princess; meaning I still have my dignity. Besides, I was in a foreign world now; if I didn't gather allies or at the very least energy to hide, then I would surely die out here. I need to learn to fit in. So I did what the old woman had demanded: I followed her inside.

"Take off your shoes and sit at the table. I will interrogate you in a few moments. And don't touch anything," she croaked before leaving me in the room alone. I took off my bloodied sandals and left them by the door. I stepped on the cool wooden floor, feeling it creak a bit as I walked. It was a lovely home so far. I never really saw traditional homes on the demon plane. I rarely travelled outside of the tribe, so I was still used to cozy adobes, huts, and the stone castle that was built for the royal family. I had to admit that I liked it very much. I sat down in a formal style on one of the cushions near the table. I looked around the room curiously, but soon noticed nothing was there that was so spectacular that I wanted to touch. So I had no problem keeping my hands in my lap.

My ears perked at the sound of whistling. It stopped soon, so it must have only been the water kettle. I relaxed a bit. She said she was going to interrogate me. What she was going to ask was beyond me. I had no answers that she wanted or needed. I didn't even know this woman, but if she knew I was a demon, then she wasn't normal. If anything, I needed answers from her.

I sat with a straight back as the sliding door opened. The old woman appeared holding two small ceramic cups and the pot of tea. Lying across her arm was a small cushion, obviously to use as a coaster for the pot. She set them down without a word and poured the tea, sliding one of the ceramic cups across the table to me. I picked it up gently and sniffed the vapors imitating from it.

"I'm not going to kill you, child. Quit being rude and accept my rare hospitality," she lashed. I jumped a bit at the noise. I looked at her and tried to analyze her for a moment; however, that opportunity was shot down almost immediately when I met her beady eyes. I instantly felt a cold chill run down my spine and I looked down at the murky liquid in the cup. I hesitantly lifted it to my lips and sipped at it tenderly, for the tea was still piping hot. It wasn't a bad taste. It was of orange spice. In fact, it was one of my favorites next to mango. I drank some more of the liquid and then set it down in front of me. In silence I watched the light steam float out of the cup. The liquid stirred a bit with vibrations from elsewhere. Then they started to increase, as if with the timing of someone running.

I looked up to the woman sitting in front of me. She felt it too, but she was perfectly at ease. It was almost as if this was a normal occurrence. I heard the muffled sounds of someone yelling outside. I turned my head to face the noise and noticed quickly that it was coming closer. Finally, there was a large slam when the door slid open, causing me to jump and scoot a bit closer to the table. The cause of the disruption was a boy with gelled, black hair.

I studied him. He must have been running. There was sweat on his brow and his chest was heaving considerably. "WHAT THE HELL, YOU OLD HAG! HOW DID YOU FIND HER THAT QUICKLY?" he screamed. I had to cover my ears. He had a really loud voice, something my ears weren't used to since it had been quiet as death in the room before he showed up. It took me a minute to realize what he said. And again, my body turned cold. Was everyone out to get me today?

The boy turned to me and pointed. "How did you get here? You don't look to be too strong," he accused.

"Yusuke, don't you think you are being a bit rude?" asked another voice. I looked behind the black-haired boy to another with red hair. He was pretty to look at. He seemed to have more sense than this one, named Yusuke, did.

Yusuke turned to face the redhead. "No, I don't think I am, Kurama. She got through the portal system to get here. Koenma is down my throat trying to get answers and quite frankly, since Keiko keeps forcing me to go to classes, I'm tired as shit!"

"Shut your trap, dimwit. She isn't going to harm anyone," the old woman retorted. I turned to look at her. Did she understand what was going on in my head? At this point in time, I was mentally breaking down. I had just lost my family and forced to flee here. I didn't want to be here, nor did I want to go back to the destruction I knew my tribe had amounted to. I put my arms on the table and buried my face into them. I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. Where was I going to go? What was I going to do? How does one even begin to go through these events?

"Hey, why are you crying? What's wrong with you?" Yusuke demanded a bit softer this time.

"Damn, Urameshi, you show up and in two minutes the demon's crying," yet another voice said. Why were all of these people coming? I just want to be alone. I want to mourn. Can't I even do that?

"It's not my fault, Kuwabara. She just started crying. I don't even know what happened," Yusuke stated defensively.

I felt footsteps approach me and a pair of hands touch my shoulders. I didn't even bother to move. I just continued to cry. I realize that my pride as a royal was diminishing at this moment, but it didn't matter to me. I just wanted my family back. "Hey, come on now. What's your name?" it was the new voice and it was right in my ear. He was the one touching me.

I brushed away my tears with my sleeve and looked toward the person touching me. To be blunt as possible…he was ugly. Orange hair didn't seem to fit his long face. I know I shouldn't judge on looks. He was probably a really nice individual. I didn't say anything to him at first because he had stared at me so bizarrely. Had I offended him? It was probably my eyes. I knew they were a brilliant blue. Too blue to be normal, but they were. My mother told me they reminded her of a wishing fountain: when you peer into the blue water, you see a few gold flakes of the coins of wishers. I gave him a small smile and said, "Atery. My name is Shizokai Atery."

A/N: And here is Chapter 2. Stay tuned for the third increment soon.


	3. A Beginning

Chapter 3: A Beginning

_My mother told me they reminded her of a wishing fountain: when you peer into the blue water, you see a few gold flakes of the coins belonging to wishers. I gave him a small smile and said, "Atery. My name is Shizokai Atery."_

"It's nice to meet you Atery. I'm Kuwabara Kazuma. The black-haired loudmouth is Urameshi Yusuke. The quiet redhead is Kurama or Shuichi when we are around other people and the woman in front of you is Genkai. There is a midget somewhere and his name is Hiei, but you don't need to worry about him quite yet," Kuwabara smiled.

I looked around at the people around me and committed everyone to memory. But it was hard to look at one of them seriously: Kurama. Kurama…he bore the name of the fox demon that was the cause of the destruction of my people. It must be a coincidence. Kuwabara said that his name was Shuichi around other people. So was Kurama just a nickname? It's a possibility. I shouldn't jump to conclusions that he's the bandit Yoko. I'm already in enough mess. I don't need to start fights.

I tugged at the beanie on my head and pulled it off. My ears felt so much better back in their pointy state. I don't know why I did it other than it was uncomfortable. Besides, they already knew I was a demon, so why hide my ears? The look on Kuwabara's face was a bit funny. His jaw went a bit slack and his beady eyes ogled at me a bit. Was I really that different without the hat? I turned my blue gaze to the others. They didn't even flinch. It was like this was perfectly normal for them. Then why was Kuwabara so flustered?

"So, what are you planning on doing with me?" I asked weakly, "When you first came in, it sounded as if you were looking for me…"

At this, Yusuke scratched the back of his head as if he was embarrassed. His gazed went across the ceiling and back to mine. "You see, Atery," he started, "Koenma sent us to find you and take you in. He suspects that you work for other demons who are trying to come and eliminate the human race. You don't look like the type to do such a thing, but we can never be too sure so we're taking you to the spirit world to see him and he decides what to do with you."

I sighed and looked to the beanie which I still clutched in my hands. My tribe had never borne ill will toward humans. I barely knew anything about them to be honest. I didn't want to go back to the destruction of my tribe. There would be nothing there for me. My family was dead and horrible things could have been done to the others I grew up with. I had to convince this Koenma of my extreme situation. My tears started to well up in my eyes again. If I returned and ended up killed, then my mother's sacrifice would have been for nothing. I swallowed my tears with my courage boiling up inside me, "When shall you take me?"

"I think it would be beneficial to take you now, since I want to get to bed and when you come back I will have amble time to fix a room for you," Genkai stated. She sipped the last bit of her tea and looked at us.

"You think Koenma will allow her to stay, Genkai?" Kuwabara asked.

Genkai grunted in an iffy manner, "You never know. She doesn't look like much. Judging by her two tails, she is neither weak nor strong. I don't see why he wouldn't allow her to stay." My heart pounded. I hoped she was right.

"So do we need to put cuffs on you or can ya walk, kid?" Yusuke asked, extending a hand to me.

I took his hand and stood. "I will come as is asked of me." My voice still sounded as dignified as it had the day before all this had happened. How it had sounded like that, I honestly couldn't tell you. So much stress and so many thoughts filled my head. I was almost in a daze, but I do remember Yusuke picking up my backpack that I had forgotten by the door and walking me out and toward the back of the house.

I faintly remember a girl with blue hair. I think she called herself Boton? Isn't that the stick thing you beat bad people with? I don't know nor do I care at the moment. She opened up a small portal and stood to the side. It was just big enough for us to walk single file, so I stood behind Yusuke and in front of Shuichi. When we reached the other side, I felt strong hands grab my arms and pin them behind me. I was forced out of the line and pushed to the floor. I gasped as the air left my lungs. What the heck had I done?

"Hey! You don't need to force her like that! She was following us calmly and willingly," I heard Yusuke shout in my defense. I squirmed against the grip that was pushing me harder into the cold…and very filthy marble floor. Really. Someone should have cleaned this more often. I swear I saw a live dust bunny glaring at me from under a pot.

"Then why is she struggling?" barked the brute holding me. My wrists were starting to go numb along with my hands and my arms were hurting. I stopped moving and just lied there. My dignity was leaving me. I felt a few tears slide down my cheeks. I whined lowly. Why was all of this happening to me now? I just lost my family, fled for my life, taken here by strangers, and now…now, I was being held against the cold floor by some brute that probably still had his family and knew nothing of my pain.

Suddenly, the abrasive grip fled from my arms. I heard a grunt and looked up to see the blue uni popping down on the floor a few meters from me. My arms fell back to the floor and gentle hands took me by the shoulders and helped me up. "She is not an inmate. She has caused no harm to anyone as far as we know; therefore, such strength and rude treatment are unnecessary," Shuichi spoke. I turned my head slightly upward to look at him. He seemed to be a caring person. I felt the tears well up again as I started to rub my hands and wrists together to regain feeling.

Of course, I wasn't crying because I was in pain or I had just lost my dignity or pride. It was just that feeling of great appreciation. You know, that feeling that you get when you are upset and a friend holds you tightly and understands the pain. For some reason, that feeling of gratefulness for their concern had always made me cry. I sniffed softly and turned my head back down to my wrists. I felt his hands move away from me and he slightly nudged me in the direction I needed to go.

No one said anything the entire walk down the hallways. Not even this blue-haired girl had uttered a word. She would gaze at me every once in a while with an expression of sadness. I was always the first to look away. Once everyone stopped in front of a big door, she opened it with a little effort. It must have just looked menacing. We stepped in and stood in front of a large desk. The blue-haired girl closed the door. For some reason my heart dropped and the echo of the door closing only made the pain return. This was the place where my fate would be decided. Whether it was good or bad, this was it.

My blue pools lingered on the edge of the desk before the spinning chair moved to reveal the decider of my fate. When I saw the judge I honestly had no words. I think I was in the state of shock. I gave him a bizarre expression somewhere between a 'what the hell?' and 'seriously?'. My executor was an infant…an infant? And then he spoke.

"Welcome, Princess Atery. My name is Koenma."


	4. Joining the Team

Chapter 4: Joining the Team

_And then he spoke. "Welcome, Princess Atery. My name is Koenma."_

"Um…thank you, Koenma. It's a…um…pleasure to meet your acquaintance," I spoke with much dignity. I suppose it was just my upbringing that made this such an easy motion to go through. But, how did he know both my name and status? Had he been watching me? No. That couldn't be right. King Enma was the powerful, short-tempered, and giant Lord of the Spirit World. So Koenma must be his son…wow. That was some creative naming. Well, I suppose it would be better than Enma Jr...Oh wait…is that seriously "Jr." on his hat…wow that might really be his name. What a poor, poor child…

"Wait a minute; what did you just call her?" Yusuke asked, a bit in disbelief. Surely he heard that correctly. Koenma did say it clearly enough.

However, Koenma pressed a button on his desk and a screen behind him lit up. The screen bore a 3 dimensional model of me with different identification markers such as name, height, weight, strengths, weaknesses, etc… To be honest, I was a bit blown away. Did he have identification for everyone or just those of his interest? I was pulled out of my thoughts when Koenma started to speak again.

"Her name is Shizokai Atery, _Princess_ of the Southeastern Fox Tribe. It has been attacked earlier today by a group of Mongol wolf demons. Reports stated that the tribe had been seized and forced to allow the Mongol Wolf Lord to take control. It also stated that the royal family had all been slaughtered in their castle and burned; however, there was one that was unaccounted for: the Princess. Also around the time of the attack, our alarm system sounded at the use of portal powder. I wanted you, Yusuke, to investigate and make sure that it was the Princess rather than a Mongol passing into the realm."

As he spoke, I felt a lump rise in my throat. Knowing the outcome of my family was horrifying. I didn't even get to bury them. They were burned by unfamiliar hands. They were not wished well during their passing. They were taken from me. These Mongols are going to pay. They shall pay for what they did to not only my family, but to my tribe. And I would not accept any other payment but their lives.

"Well, Koenma," I started, "It is apparent that I was the one who used the powder. What are you planning on doing with me now?" I wanted revenge, but the way I am now, the wolves will kill me easily. What was I going to do?

"I see that you have a lot of emotion in you at the moment. That is only to be expected, but emotion is by no means a weakness. In your case, as shown in the diagram on the screen, your abilities can be magnified by an emotion. There is reason water and air are usually womanly elements. Because air and water are all about the flow and the emotional feeling, women are more sensitive to it and can harness even its most difficult maneuvers, making them easy masters. However, at the moment, you are still young and unpracticed and cannot complete the revenge that I am sure you feel at this moment. Princess, I have a small request I must ask of you." He finished. He looked up at me with a serious expression. Well…the most serious expression an infant child could ever give.

I stood there for a minute. He had known that I would want revenge. Well, I suppose that is a common response to such a situation, but still… I'm sure he gathered the information about women defeating men during a battle of water and air. But I stopped when he had called me young. I wasn't that young. I was 900 years old. I only have two tails, but in my culture, our tails come with experience, not age as everyone previously assumed, so maybe that was the reason he thought me young. So he had a request for me? Well, seeing as how I have no other opinion, I might as well see what it pertained to. If I didn't like it, I would tell him honestly, but the major question after that would be: what to do with me then? If I listened to his request and went along with it, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I nodded, "What does the request entail?"

"I want you to train with Yusuke's team and accompany them to the Dark Tournament where you will train on the sidelines until they need you. You see, there must be five participants to a team. Then, there must be a substitute in case one of the members dies or is unable to carry on with their team. I want you to be the substitute. This way, we can have a full fighting team and you can also receive training and enhance your skills," he explained.

I thought about it. This could be a great opportunity. I could be helping the others and in the long run achieve my own goals. But there were a few things that bothered me. "Where would I stay and train? And for how long shall it remain that way?"

From behind me, I heard Yusuke scoff slightly. I turned my head and saw that he had my backpack still strung on one shoulder. "You know the old hag said you would be staying at her place. She has enough room for you. Besides, we can visit you there after school and such to help you train."

Botan, who was silent all this time, chuckled, "You're actually going to school now? I'm impressed, Yusuke!"

"Hey, just because Keiko forces me to show up doesn't mean I actually attend. Sheesh," he retorted. He shifted positions and let my sack fall from his shoulder to the ground with a loud plop. Without thinking, I lunged for it but right before I grasped the edge of it, a blade met my neck.

"Answer the question before you gather your things," said a cold voice. My blue pools followed the blades edge up to the person holding it. I knew from the beginning that it wasn't Yusuke or any of the others. It was some short, pissed-off looking boy. No one else moved. So I decided to. I was not going to be harmed here and if he even attempted then I was not completely defenseless. My weapons were right in the bag a foot from my hand.

From my crouched position, I lay my hand against the flat side of the blade and pushed down so I could lean over and grasp my bag. I quickly drew it about my shoulders and stood. If he didn't look pissed now, he surely did. He didn't intimidate me like he wanted. I bet that's how he makes up for being short. Granted, I wasn't exactly tall, but at least I was above 5 feet.

Yusuke had a grin creeping onto his face. Shuichi looked a little worried, even though he was still composed. Apparently what I had just done to this sad cretin was what they call "treading on thin ice." Hm. Well, I wasn't going to be bullied. I can have a temper just like he could.

I rolled my eyes at the boy and faced back to the infant. "I accept your request, Koenma," I stated simply. Koenma smiled and jumped up in his chair.

"Welcome to the team, Princess! As of now, you are employed by the Spirit World and will also be assigned to other missions as we-"

I held up my hand to stop him, "I agreed to be part of the team. If you are trying to coax me into accepting an employment here, then I shall have to interfere. If by joining the team for the Dark Tournament, I am also accepting employment then I fear you have conned me and I do not intend to bear such a burden at this point in time."

"I am not trying to con you, Princess. It is just a step we have to do. In order to make the team, we have to have them as employed fighters. That is the only way we as Spirit World can have a team. That is to avoid us snatching dead fighters and rebirth them, thus making us 'fair' competitors. I merely say that you are employed so that you may join. However, because you are now employed by us, then you will also have to complete missions with Yusuke and the team as well, just to assure others that we are 'fair' and 'trustworthy' even though when we are compared to them, we would be fair as snow despite if we were to cheat," Koenma explained.

I understood perfectly what he meant. I nodded and cleared my throat. Speaking properly all the time was one of the most annoying things in the world. "Fine. I shall accept; however, it is under two conditions. First, you stop calling me Princess. I prefer Atery. Secondly, I wish to learn how to adapt to the human world."

Koenma nodded and clasped his hands together. "Great! We shall finish up the paperwork here. For now, you must be extremely tired, so please go and rest. Yusuke, look after her. Any expenses she needs, we will pay for."

"Tsk, alright," he directed toward the infant. But his face softened when he looked to me. "Welcome to the team, Atery. Come on and let's get ya back to Genkai's."

I nodded and followed him to the door. "Oh, Atery!" Koenma called. I turned my head to see him bowing his head. "I am sorry for your loss."

I nodded again and followed Yusuke, Botan, Shuichi, and the little cretin out of the door. It was then that I noticed that I hadn't been thinking of my family during the discussion. My heart heaved. Am I a horrible daughter? Sure, I was doing this for my family in the end, but for now, I felt like I was separating them from me.

I was faintly aware of following the group through another portal until I felt a cold gust meet my face. I peered at Genkai's home. This was to be my home as well for the time being. I have to learn to adjust. Not just to the home, but I have to adjust to a new way of living and a new way of fighting. I took a deep breath and smiled at the home. There were lanterns lit waiting for our arrival. They made me think of how my mother would always leave a candle burning in my window whenever I would stay out late. I felt the strongest urge to run there, I suppose in the assumption that my mother would be the one to open the door and embrace me.

"Well, here we are, Atery-san!" Botan peeped. My eyes widened as she embraced me and hugged me tight. She was happy that I was here? Does this mean she was only staying silent in front of Koenma for business purposes? I lifted my hand to hold her arm that was strung across my chest. She was warm and soft. Just like my mother was. I found more tears streaming down my cheeks, but I found myself smiling. Sweet memories had filled my heart so I nodded and replied, "Yes."

I bent my head to brush the tears off my face. I was tired of crying. I just wanted to sleep now. So I led the way to Genkai's home. I took one step onto the porch and the door slid open. There was Genkai, looking very irritated, "So, I was right. Well, girl, come inside and get settled for the night. The rest of you leave. I don't want people in my house."

I laughed a bit and turned to face the kind people who had escorted me back here. Where Kuwabara had gone, I hadn't a clue. I bowed deeply from the waist and thanked them before standing straight and giving them a small smile. My eyes gazed over them as they each had something to say, except for the little black thing. My gaze lingered on Shuichi though, for some reason. His eyes were very lovely to look at and I smiled a bit more as he told me good night.

When they left, I followed Genkai into a spare bedroom next to the training room. There was a mat already there for me along with a pair of night attire. I thanked Genkai for having me, which she nodded and smiled about.

"Stay as long as you like, girl. It's nice not having a nitwit around. Good night, Atery."

"Good night, Master Genkai."

A/N: Okay, so I got distracted while typing this up. I'm sorry it took so long. Hopefully, you people don't hate me. Anyway, stay tuned! I love you guys!


	5. Training

Chapter 5: Training

_"Good night, Master Genkai."_

That night was a rough one for me. Not only did the crickets make me feel more alone, but the darkness was so intense that I could barely see anything. I stood up from my bed mat and slide open one of the walls that lead outside. In the night sky, a full moon was ever glowing. I sighed and pulled my bed mat out onto the porch. I wanted to sleep outside tonight. The soft breeze and the bright moon kept me calm as my eyes fluttered close and I fell into a deep slumber.

Before I even heard the birds chirping, I felt a quick jab to my side. I groaned and swatted at whoever dared to kick me. It was most likely my brother. "Gah! Go crawl under a rock, Alabaster. I don't want to train right now."

"Who the hell is Alabaster, onna?" an irritating voice replied. I opened my eyes to glare at the creep who had come into my room, but there were some conflictions. 1, I wasn't in my castle as I thought I had been. 2, the guy who kicked me wasn't my brother because 3, my family was dead…My heart heaved again. Damn, I have to get out of this rut before I die in it. But it only happened yesterday. I'm allowed to grieve right? No. It is a warrior's responsibility to move forward and triumph. But why is this so hard to do?

"He's no one for you to worry about," I stated. I looked to the male and met red, beady eyes. It was just the annoying little bastard from yesterday. "What do you want?" I looked around. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and a few birds were chirping, but other than that, nothing was stirring.

"You shouldn't be sleeping outside. You never know what's lurking out here wanting to kill you." His voice didn't sound like he was concerned. In fact, he probably didn't care if I lived or died. Whatever. He doesn't matter to me. "Besides," he continued, "Kurama is waiting in the front room for you."

Kurama? Oh, yes, he must mean Shuichi. I stood up without ever responding to his comments. I had nothing nice to say to neither him nor him to me, so just avoid the fight and move on. I properly folded up my bed mat and walked back into my room, sliding the door closed behind me.

Upon opening the closet to store the mat and pillow, I found my backpack on the floor and my clothes hanging on hangers. I touched the soft fabric of my white, training outfit and sniffed it once. It still held the smell of my homeland: lotus and sandalwood. There was also a new scent: a faint woman-like scent. So it must have been Master Genkai who had placed my clothes here while I slept outside. I smiled in gratitude for her kindness. I shall have to thank her.

I took my clothes off of the hanger and brought some undergarments and brought them to the adjoining bathroom. If Shuichi was waiting for me, then I did not want to make him wait too long. I decided to just preform a quick rinse and change from my night clothes to my training outfit. I also brushed my teeth with the brush and paste sitting on the countertop waiting for me before I folded my night robes neatly and left them on top of a basket in the corner. It didn't take me too long to brush out the few tangles in my hair. Overall, it was about maybe 25 minutes.

I walked into the front room silently. Master Genkai nodded, noting my presence. I gave her a small smile and sat beside her. Shuichi was not there as I thought he was. Perhaps he had to attend to other things. "Good morning, Master Genkai. I was informed that Shuichi-san was here to see me?" I politely asked.

Genkai nodded and sipped on some tea that she had sitting on the table. It was most likely green tea from the smell of it. I looked around the room, seeing nothing more than a few hanging objects such as a mirror, and a big box sitting in the corner. It was a very strange looking box. The front of it was like a screen of glass but the rest was a black rectangle. There were seven buttons on its side for what, I could not tell you. I had never seen something like this before.

"It's called a television, child," Master Genkai informed me. She had seen me staring at it and probably had known I had never seen one. "Go turn it on if you wish. Kurama had to make changes to the serum he had for you. You might as well entertain yourself while you wait."

Turn it on? What was that box supposed to do? And he had a serum for me? What was that serum about? I stood and approached the box in the corner named television. I looked at the buttons carefully. There were two pairs of buttons that had up and down arrows, but one had "Channel" on it and another with "Volume." Above those sets were another two buttons entitled "Menu" and "Setup." The last on was the one that confused me. It didn't have a word next to it like the others. If anything, it was a simple picture that appeared to be a soul escaping from an egg. Master Genkai had informed me that I needed to turn it on. Which one did that? I peered back at the old lady to see her gazing out of the window. She had no concern with me at the moment. I had to pick one, so I decided to press the "Menu" button…nothing happened. I pressed the "Setup" button…again, nothing happened. Finally, I just pressed the picture button and the screen came to life.

I was started at the noise that came from the television. Why was this thing talking? I sat in front of it and watched as humans spoke and walked from one side to the other. It was pretty much like the screen in Koenma's office, except this one was speaking and thankfully, no picture of me.

"And now, stay tuned for your promised premier episode of 'Thundercats'!" a male voice introduced. I tilted my head and set my ears forward to gather all of the sounds that the television emitted. In a few seconds, I saw bright lights and heard a catchy theme song play:

Thunder, thunder, thundercats, Ho!  
>Thundercats are on the move,<br>Thundercats are loose,  
>Feel the magic, hear the Roar,<br>Thundercats are loose,

Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats!  
>Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats!<br>Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats!  
>Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats! Thundercats!<p>

It was apparently the starting episode. For it started to give details of how they had left a dying planet called Thundera to journey to a new planet which they named Third Earth. This story was very appealing. In fact, I was so enthralled by the story and the characters that I didn't realize when Shuichi returned. I merely felt a hand on my shoulder.

I reluctantly pulled my eyes away from the screen and looked up to find the red-head smiling down at me. "Is this the first time you've seen a television, Princess Atery?" he asked, politely. It was something about him that made want to melt. It was either that or the warm contact from his hand. It was one of the first signs of kindness that I had ever received. My mother and nurse had always held me whenever I was young and crying, but no man was ever allowed to touch me accept for my close relatives like my brother, father, and uncles. I could tell from his touch on my shoulder that he possessed strong but gentle hands. I couldn't help but smile at him and flick my ears in a sweet fashion.

He smiled warmly at me again before turning to sit at the table. I stretched out to turn off the television before joining him there. Master Genkai must have left while I was distracted. I sat properly and with a straight back. "Yes, it is. My tribe is what you would say 'out of date.' Our people live in huts, tents, with a few small houses, whereas my family and I live in a small castle. It is nothing like this world with tall, grey buildings and televisions," I cracked a smile, "But, please, if you must address me, then please call me Atery. I am no longer a princess to my people, not like I felt like one to begin with. I always preferred to be out in the bustle and eat with the villagers. They were so much livelier than my family was at dinner."

He seemed to be content with listening to me, but I would rather not interfere with whatever he was here to do. "So, Master Genkai said something about a serum you made for me?"

He kept a warm smile and withdrew a small vile which contained a green, thick liquid. "You said earlier to Koenma that you wished to learn to adapt in the human world, did you not?"

I nodded, still staring at the liquid in the vile. He continued, "Well, that made me start to think. I believe that the fastest way for you to adjust is to enroll in a school such as Yusuke, Kuwabara, and myself. You appear to not have a high enough power level just yet in order to disguise yourself for long periods of time, so I was able to concoct a serum that will cloak your demon energies and appearance."

I nodded again. I understood the concept of schooling and such. In order for me to truly fit in with this society, I must partake in such rituals. "So this serum is to disguise my ears and tails. How long is it supposed to last?" Shuichi looked at the vile and then back at me. His eyes…what a lovely green. Gah! Atery, focus!

"That is the reason I brought the serum here for you today. I want you to test it out. Here, you will not have to worry about being seen by other humans. I am currently working on the paperwork to get you into a school, but you shall be required to take a placement test in order to see if you should be placed in mine or Yusuke and Kuwabara's high school," he explained. I nodded and watched as he poured some green tea into a cup. He then poured a bit of the serum into it as well.

He slid the cup to me and I sniffed it questionably. It smelled absolutely terrible. I must have made a disgusted face, for Shuichi chuckled, "It's not too bad. You will adjust to it in time." I shrugged and lifted the cup to my lips. The taste was worse than what it smelled. I cringed but swallowed all of it at once.

I set the cup down on the table and felt a tingling sensation in my stomach. It wasn't exactly nausea, but more of a 'butterfly' experience. I felt a warmth rush from my heart to the tips of my fingers, toes, and scalp. It was odd. My tails and ears became very itchy. I reached to my head to scratch, but my hands rested on hair. My fox ears were gone. I went to my tails and found that they too were missing. I looked to Shuichi whose eyes had grown a bit. Was I deforming? What was going on? I stood and rushed to the mirror hanging on the wall.

Gazing into the mirror, I met the appearance of a beautiful, young, _human_ woman. There were no fox ears. I raised my hand to push some of my hair away from the side of my face. She followed me exactly and the movement of hair revealed a human ear on the sides of my face. I knew that this was a mirror and it was obvious that the girl was me, but she had light yellow hair, whereas I knew I had silver. I ran my fingers through the hair and brought it to my line of vision. Yes, it had changed color. I was so intrigued by it. It was beautiful. Lighter than gold, but yet it was magnificent. I looked back to the mirror. My eyes had remained the same blue with gold flakes. That made me smile. And my smile had changed as well. My canines had appeared to be filed down a bit.

I turned back to Shuichi. "Is my hair supposed to change colors like this?" I asked, gently holding the golden locks. I saw his eyes refocus. He must have been thinking of other things. Great, I just popped interrupted his thought again. However, he answered my question, "It is merely the pigments from the flowers. Since your hair was originally a light color, the pigments of the flower must be taking over. Does that make you upset?"

"No, no. I actually like it. It's different. Does it look okay? Will I fit in with the other humans now?" I asked, suddenly afraid that blonde hair was out of the norm.

Shuichi chuckled again. "I assure you, it will be fine. You might even have a club of admirers after a while. The blonde makes you quite pretty."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. He was being very polite and kind to me. How would I be able to thank him for what he has done? He didn't have to give me this serum. He didn't have to do the paperwork to get me into a school, but yet he was doing it anyway. I suppose the only right way to thank him would be to do my very best in school and training. "So really all I need to do today is recognize when I need to take more of the serum and how long the effect will last?"

Shuichi nodded. "Yes, I believe that is all for now. Until 5 o'clock when we come to help you begin training exercises." He looked down at his wristwatch to see what time it was. "I have to hurry back to school now. My lunch break is almost over. When I return at 5 I shall have some paperwork for you to fill out for the school, so do not be surprised."

He stood and began to walk toward the door. I went to him and produced a low bow. "I sincerely appreciate all that you are doing for me. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask it of me."

The red-head put on a thinking face and then smiled at me. "I would like to see you smile, Princess. I think you would have a lovely smile."

There was that heat again in my cheeks. But there was something that bothered me… "If I try to smile more, then you need to call me Atery. None of this 'princess' business, understand?"

"I'll keep that in mind, Atery. See you soon." He waved a hand to me as he departed to the outside.

I sighed a bit, being alone again. So he wanted me to smile more. Was that it? Just smile? Surely, I can find it in my heart to smile again. But for now, why not watch some more television? So that's what I did. I went back to sit in front of the television, but as soon as I went to press the egg button, Master Genkai slid open the door and slung my fans and daggers at me. I barely had a chance to catch them.

"Come on, fox. Let's start with some warm-ups. We've only got six hours to prepare before the nitwit gets here," she barked. Wait, so are we going to train for six hours straight? Six? Seriously?

**A/N: Anon, I just wanted to tell you thanks for commenting on the past two chapters. I was just telling my friend the other day that just hearing nice reviews like yours make me want to finish the chapter sooner just so you can be happy. Thank you once again and I shall have the next chapter up as soon as I can. **

**I also give thanks to Rin who was the first person to review my chapter. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you are keeping up with them.**

**Thank you, mynameisedward, for being an awesome and very supportive friend. You also pushed me to push out these chapters with your awesome enthusiasm! **

**And to all those who haven't reviewed but still looked on, thank you! I love all of you people!**


	6. New Discoveries

Chapter 6: New Discoveries

_"Come on, fox. Let's start with some warm-ups. We've only got six hours to prepare before the nitwit gets here," she barked. Wait, so are we going to train for six hours straight? Six? Seriously?_

"Didn't they teach you how to fight properly? You keep your blind spots covered at all times. I don't care that we have been at this for six hours. Wars last for days and since you only have a limited time before the Dark Tournament begins, you have to strengthen up twice as fast," she yelled.

Oi! Give me a break woman. Yes, I had been taught how to fight, but no one was this determined to come after me before. Even though I was getting extremely tired and irritated, I wouldn't have said that to her. She would have killed me. Besides, I was staying at _her_ house. I had to be polite and appreciative of her training. At least she cared enough to train me and not leave me to the dogs.

She took a calm step closer to me. Of course, she wasn't even breaking a sweat. Who the hell exercises for six hours without even breaking a sweat! Well, at least I was normal. I was huffing. Sweat was rolling down the sides of my face and body. I was in an awkward position: squatting feet spread apart, my two fans in either hand. My wicked dagger was stuck in the base of a tree about 100 meters away. I was trying my best to stay up on my feet. I was leaning more and more toward the ground, wanting to just fall there and not get up again for a few days. But, alas, that would not come yet. Even though I had been out here for that long amount of time and the sun has been beating down on me, I cannot stop fighting.

I took quick glances, not wanting my eyes to waver from the short, pink-haired woman before me. What was I going to do? I could attempt to find refuge in the surrounding wooding, but I have no power over plants or earth. I can only harness water and air and even then, my power is limited here since the serum was given to me by Shuichi. Speaking of which, it has yet to wear off. Wait a minute! If I took to the trees, then my white hair wouldn't make me stand out as much! I have a light gold hair now that could match some of the sun that is peaking through the canopy. I have to make this escape quickly though. I really don't want to get hammered in the side by one of her spirit kicks again.

I ended up not answering her question. I bolted as soon as I could darting deep into the forests. I suppose it would have been a good idea to make a distraction first, but hey, I'm low on energy as it is. To waste it on a distraction would be pointless. Okay, so I took to the forest as fast as I could. And, of course, she followed me. Not that I was expecting anything different, but I would have loved it if she just stayed where she was and let me rest.

"Do you think the trees are going to hide you for long, Atery? I can feel your energy, so it is pointless," Genkai spoke. Yea...I knew I wasn't going to hide that well. I was never taught to suppress my energy. I think I skipped that lesson...but I didn't skip the lesson on how to 'charm' plants. It will take some time to charm them so I need to find some place to hide. Where's a fox hole when you need one?

A blast of energy blasted through the trees toward me. I scrambled out of the way and landed on a tree branch. Holy Hell! She was really trying to hit me! How I felt a strong hold on my opposite shoulder. I gasped as the hand grabbed me tighter, yanked me away from the tree and hurtled me straight through the other trees until I skidded on the grass back at the house. My back hurt so bad. No lie. I struggled to get back up on my feet. No, I didn't want to get back up, but I wasn't about to let her think I had given up. I still had my pride.

"Atery! Damn, you old bitch, are you trying to kill her?" I heard a voice say. When I turned my head to face the house, I saw Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Shuichi standing on the porch. Finally, they came. They were late. Yusuke ran out to me and braced against me so I wouldn't fall.

"We only have a limited time until the Dark Tournament begins. She needs to toughen up twice as fast so she won't die in the first round. I know what I'm doing, moron. But for now, we will rest. I believe you have paperwork and such for her, do you not, Kurama?" she replied. She stepped into the field but did not stop to look at me. She just marched right into the house, sliding the door behind her. Feeling her eyes off of me at last, my legs fell from under me. Luckily, Yusuke was already supporting me so I didn't fall on my face.

"Damn, how long has she been kicking your ass?" he asked, dragging me back to the porch. He set me down and I looked up at the sky before answering. It was almost dark out.

"A little over six hours," I replied.

"Six hours?" Kuwabara stuttered. I chuckled at his confusion. I was so tired, it wasn't even funny, but I chuckled nonetheless. I also felt a weird sensation: an intolerable itch! My ribs ached, I had cuts on my arms and back, and now...my ears and tails were itchy? I reached up to scratch my ears, but they were gone. My original fox ears popped up on the top of my head and my tails was back. I instantly hugged my two tails, very glad to have them back.

"So, Shuichi, I suppose the serum lasted a little over six hours. Is that sufficient for a human school day?" I asked, looking up at the redhead. Yes, I realized that I ignored Kuwabara's astonished question, but I really didn't care. Yes, it was six hours, but I understand that Master Genkai was just trying to help me in the long run. All I really wanted now was sleep. Yes...sleep. Always kind and wonderful.

"You may have to take two doses to make it through the day. So I shall make some more for you. I also brought you some books for you to glance over for your placement exam in the morning. I just have some last minute paperwork and then everything will be ready for you. Do you need assistance to get inside to your bedroom?" he asked me kindly.

I shook my head and stood on wobbling legs. I hated feeling weak. I felt even worse that Yusuke had to help me get to the porch. I have to be strong in so many ways now: physically, emotionally, and mentally. I couldn't depend upon others as much as I had with my family. I had to show these people the honor of the southeastern fox tribe. "I've got it on my own, thank you."

I walked down the porch, letting my hand slide gently upon the wood wall until I was in front of my room. I slid open the door and quickly sat on the cushion near the table. I sat formally and folded my tails to sit on the floor on my right. My ears were perked and ready to answer anything Shuichi needed. The three boys followed me in my room. Shuichi sat across the table from me. Yusuke lounged to the right of me and Kuwabara sat on the left of me. I also noticed that there was a stack of very thick books piled in the corner. Were they the books I needed to know by the next morning?

Shuichi took some papers from the bag resting beside him and withdrew a writing utensil. The papers already had many answers scribbled on it, so he skipped through the first few sheets until it was blank. "Since you are a new here, we have to give you a new name. We wouldn't want any demon coming across and seeking you out, now would we? What name would you like to have?"

"You can have my last name, if ya want, Atery. No one will mess with you. I'll just say you are my cousin or something," Yusuke suggested. I thought about it. It seemed like a nice request. But what was to be my first and middle name?

"That's very nice of you, Yusuke. Thank you. Do you have any suggestions for the other two names?" I asked.

"You need to choose that. You will be the one responding to it. Didn't you have any nicknames or anything back home?" he retorted.

I thought about it for a moment. "My mother used to call me Nalini when I chanted to the plants. My brother called me Rina because of the jasmine I got tangled in when I was little."

"Those are pretty names. We don't have many names like that around here," Kuwabara chimed in. I produced a small smile. At least he was trying to be nice.

"Would you prefer Nalini or Rina as your main name?" Shuichi asked, ready to write down the name.

"Hmm. Urameshi Nalini or Urameshi Rina?" I pondered

"Go with Nalini. It sounds better," Yusuke advised. In truth, I was leaning more to that name because it was my mother who gave it to me. I nodded and turned back to Shuichi.

"Urameshi Nalini will suffice. I'll remember it." I finished.

Shuichi nodded and scribbled down the name. I peered over to watch him. The next question was age...Well how was age divided here?

"Yusuke," Shuichi spoke, "How old does Nalini appear to you?"

I sat back and turned my head to Yusuke. I felt instantly violated by the way he looked me up and down and again. "I'd say about 14 or 15. What do you think Kuwabara?"

I turned to face Kazuma. He didn't look to be 14, but I suppose looks are deceiving sometimes. "I think you look about 14."

Without a word, Shuichi scribbled down 14 years. Goodness, people aged slowly here. "Will I be enrolling in your school or Yusuke and Kuwabara's, Shuichi?"

He lifted his green eyes to meet mine. "Do you have a preference? I was planning on having you attend high school with me so that I would be able to make the serum for you."

I blinked and nodded, "Yes, I was just wondering. That's all." I reached for my ear and rubbed the soft fur. It was an involuntary action. I barely realized I did it until Kazuma took it upon himself to pet my other ear. "Kon ko-ko-ko-kon~" I giggled. I covered my red face and curled into a ball. Had I really just giggled like that? Well, now my pride was gone.

"I think that was the most adorable sound I ever heard. It was like my kitty when she gets tickled!" Kuwabara stated loudly.

I stood up violently and clutched his throat. "I am _not _a _cat. _Foxes are _not_ felines. And you will do well to _never _do something like that again. So help me I will rip out your intestines, wrap them around you're good-for-nothing neck," my grip on his throat tightened, "and hang you from the tallest tower here."

My anger diminished when I began to hear laughing from Yusuke. I released the red-faced Kuwabara and turned curiously to the laughing boy. "For someone who has been kicked around for six hours, you sure had enough energy to pound on the ginger."

I sat back down and tilted my head, "What is a ginger? Is it not a vegetable grown in many parts of China and Japan?"

Yusuke blinked at me once or twice before laughing uncontrollably. Even Kuwabara was beginning to snicker. Was I wrong? I gave Shuichi a questioning look. He smiled at me and shook his head. "You are right, but Yusuke was referring to another use of the word ginger in which case it is a derogatory term for someone with light orange hair and pale skin."

Geez. There was already so many things I needed to learn and now I have to learn street words and how to both identify and use them readily. I nodded at the information and committed it to memory. Since it was a derogatory word, I probably shouldn't use it unless it is someone I know very well, that way they won't take offense to it. "Is there anything else I must do before the placement tomorrow?" I asked Shuichi. I just wanted to sleep...

"I just need Urameshi Nalini's signature here and here. And her initials here and here," Shuichi replied. He indicated certain lines of the paper and handed them to me so I could sign. I suppose this was going to be a good thing. I had never been to school with others before. I was only trained and taught by the tutors that were assigned to my brother and myself.

After I signed the papers, I handed them back to Shuichi who then placed them in his bag and pointed to the stack of books in the corner. "Those are some of the books I had in my possession that might help you before the exam tomorrow. Please try to skim through them at least before you attempt the exam. If you need anything else, then you may call me. Also, I have two doses of serum ready for you in your backpack. Take one before you leave and the other when you feel you are about to change back. Is there anything you require before we depart?"

I shook my head, "No thank you. That won't be necessary. Thank you for all of your efforts though. I really appreciate it." I smiled formally to the three boys.

"You know, if you need anything, you can call me too, cousin." Yusuke laughed. They stood and prepared to leave so I stood as well, even though they were still sore.

"I'll be sure to remember, cousin Yusuke," I chimed sweetly.

"Alright. Come on, ginger, let's get going!"

"Who are you callin' a ginger, Urameshi?" Kuwabara yelled, lunging for Yusuke.

"You, stupid. Who else?" he taunted. Yusuke stepped out of Kuwabara's reach and then jumped across the table to leave through the back door. Kuwabara followed him, still yelling.

"Are they always this rowdy?" I asked.

Shuichi nodded slowly and laughed, "You learn to get used to it. It just takes time. Soon you'll be part of the family too." He followed the two boys who had already departed, yelling and laughing down the street. Before he left though, the red-haired boy turned back to me and smiled, "I'll be here early tomorrow morning to pick you up. Sleep tight."

"Thank you, Shuichi. I'll be ready. Good night."

With another small smile, he departed, closing the sliding door behind him. I listened to his footsteps leave. There was just something about him that made me curious. It was like his eyes were telling me everything, but they were also hiding something big. He was very nice and compassionate, it seemed. My head started to feel light. I still had to look over these books. I sighed. This was going to be a long night. Mother, please help me...

I gathered the big books in my arms and brought them back to the table. I decided just to take the one on top and start glancing over the pages. I skimmed through most of the books. They were just textbooks of history, math, biology and chemistry, and a language called English. I attempted to study it, but it was difficult to decipher. I suppose that I shall have to practice it later on after I get placed into a school.

It was very late when I finally curled up in my mat. It only felt like ten minutes before I heard Master Genkai yelling at me to get up and get ready...Great. I could tell already that this was going to be a very long day...


	7. School Days

Chapter 7: School Days

_It was very late when I finally curled up in my mat. It only felt like ten minutes before I heard Master Genkai yelling at me to get up and get ready...Great. I could tell already that this was going to be a very long day..._

"Get up, girl. You have an hour to get ready to leave and meet Kurama at the bottom of the hill," Master Genkai stated, giving me a quick poke with her foot. I yawned and stretched. Damn. I was still sore. I grunted at the pain in my right shoulder, but Master Genkai just turned and left me alone in my dark room. I suppose she always gets up this early. I usually did, but since I had such a long day yesterday, I was not looking toward this awakening as a pleasant occurrence.

I stood slowly and folded up my mat. After placing it back in the closet where it belonged, I took out a white sundress. It had very small straps, clung to my sides-which also gave away that I have a small chest- and it draped down to my mid-thigh. I went to the mirror in the corner and looked at the dress. I suppose that it just got shoved into my bag when I was escaping. This used to be my mother's dress when she was my age, so I was, in a sense, happy that I had accidentally taken it with me. I went back to the closet, looking for something to put on my feet. My white ones that I had wore here were blood-stained... maybe Master Genkai would have something for me to wear. I poked my head out of the room and looked for her. I thought she would be in the kitchen or something, so I went to find her. Low and behold, I was right. She was sitting by the table with a pot of tea.

"Excuse me, Master Gankai. I was wondering if you had some white shoes that I could possibly borrow for today? Mine are blood-stained," I asked a bit nervously.

She looked me up and down with her beady eyes, making me very uncomfortable. Finally, she went back to sipping her tea. After a minute, she replied, "If you used that light purple shawl in the closet, it will match the old purple sandals I had when I was younger."

I smiled at her, "Thank you, Master Genkai." I left after hearing her grunt a reply. I went to her closet and found the amethyst purple shawl she had spoken of. It was beautiful. It looked hand-made, composed of very fine material, and it even had slight traces of indigo woven into it. I wrapped it around my shoulders and sloppily folded it to stay before reaching down to the base of her closet to find some purple slip-on shoes with white roses blooming on the toes. Geez the Master sure had beautiful clothing.

I went back to her and showed her my outfit, hoping it would please her. After a look, she stood up and started to adjust the knot I had tied the shawl into. "Haven't you ever clothed yourself, child? Or did they just spoil you and dress you up?" she asked. She untied the shawl and draped it around the edge of my shoulders before flipping the tails into a simple fold just off the center of my chest. "Now go finish getting ready. You have ten minutes."

I nodded and left to the bathroom. There I cleaned up and brushed my hair into a bouncy ponytail, allowing some of the hair to lay a bit in front of where my human ears should be. I looked ready for the day as I left the bathroom and made my way back to the front of the house once again. Sitting at the door waiting for me was a brown canvas messenger bag. It was very nice and had many compartments for my things. There were even notebooks, pens, and pencils already inside for me. I smiled at their kindness.

"Hurry up, girl. He should be waiting for you. Don't become like the nitwit." Genkai noted. I laughed. "I will do nothing but my best. Thank you very much, Master Genkai."

"Let us all hope so," she grunted. She turned back to her tea while I slipped on the purple shoes at the entryway. After slinging my messenger bag across my shoulders, I stepped out of the home, closing the door behind me. I stepped quietly down the long staircase. I didn't realize how many steps there were. I suppose I was just too frazzled to notice when I first arrived.

I stopped suddenly and realized I had yet to take the serum Shuichi had given me. I stood behind a bush nearby and dug through the bag. It was in a zipper compartment...which, of course, was the last place I looked. I uncorked the tiny bottle and downed the serum. Surprisingly, it didn't taste as bad this time. I replaced the cork and put the bottle back where it was hiding in the bag. It a few moments, I felt the tingling sensations, indicating I had changed. I patted my head and tailbone to make sure before stepping back onto the staircase and rushing down to the street.

When I made it to the street, a familiar face was there waiting for me. I smiled up at Shuichi. "Sorry I am late. I hope you weren't waiting long," I apologized.

He smiled warmly and replied, "Do not fret. I was not here long. You look rather nice this morning too, I must say."

I laughed. "You don't need to compliment me, you know. I just want to be treated like everyone else."

He nodded. We set out on our way. I following him, of course. I had no idea where I was going. I did remember to make note of things so that I could get to the school and back on my own. It was a lovely view. The skies were clear with the yellow hues of the rising sun. The air was crisp and to my surprise, there wasn't many people around quite yet. I didn't say anything the entire way. I was too occupied taking in all the new scenery.

After a while, we made it to the school building. It was rather large...well, compared to what I was used to. In truth, it was the size of our castle back home...maybe a little bigger. The students were gathering in the gated area. As soon as we entered the gates, the majority of the girl student body turned their eyes to us. I think they were glaring at me...why? I had not a clue. Was I that much different than they were? I didn't think I was. I looked normal. I looked up to the red-haired boy for guidance.

"Don't worry too much about them. You see, I'm a bit popular amongst the girls. I'm not sure why exactly, but that's just what happened. Come. We need to check you in and get you set up in the testing room. Are you prepared?" he asked me.

I followed him and replied, " I skimmed over as much as I could. The arithmetic was not different from what I was taught back home, but I had to study the history. I was up late, so all I can do id my best."

Shuichi chuckled and opened the door for me, "It's just a placement test. Your best is all you have to do. It will just see if you are ready for the classes here. I'm sure you will be fine."

Together we walked to the counseling desk and he handed the older, Japanese lady my papers that he had written out the previous night. "Oh! So you are the new student. Are you ready to take your test?" she asked me kindly.

"Yes, please," I bowed. Shuichi smiled at me. I guess he was just trying to give me some confidence. A bell rang in the hallways. I suppose it was time for class because the people all migrated inside and filed into their rooms. "I will see you when you're done. Good luck, Nalini."

Wait...Nalini? Oh! That's right. I had a new name here. Urameshi Nalini. I waved to shuichi as he walked through the hall and into his classroom. I saw a few girls huddle together and glare at me before going into the same room as Shuichi. Oh kami...that meant I was going to be the hated one. Females and their overactive hormones...

I sighed and turned back to the nice woman. She had filed away my paperwork and stood to bring me to the designated test room. I felt my heart skip a beat. I hated tests. That's usually why I skipped out of them back home. They always made me nervous and even if I knew all the answers, the nerves would make me almost forget it all.

The woman took me to a quiet and empty classroom. I sat down in the desk in front of the teacher's desk and took out a few pencils. She smiled at me. "Alright, Nalini-san, we are about to take your placement test. This test will determine if you have the ability to study here at Shiritsu Meiō Gakkō. You have 2 hours to complete the test. There is scratch paper attached to the back of the test for your use. I will give you the time every thirty minutes and then when you have ten and five minutes remaining. Good luck, Urameshi-san." She rested the thick test on my desk and went to sit in the teacher's desk before me. "Your time starts...now."

I looked at the first page and wrote my name before I began. The subjects were organized as: history, science, language, and mathematics. This meant I had an estimated time of 30 minutes for each section. I flipped to the back of the book and started with the math problems. I was great with numbers. I always had a knack for it, so I should finish these in no time. Which I did. I finished all 40 problems in 20 minutes. I know. It seems really fast, but it is a gift for me.

Next up, I chose science. there were only 15 problems, which surprised me, but I suppose it was all the charts and graphs which took up all the paper. It was very similar to the math section, which put me at ease. It was merely trying to find trends and see if I could make the connections. I remember the woman calling out a time, but I didn't pay much mind to it. I was too concentrated on my work.

I moved on to the language section. I struggled a bit. It was a lot of English to Japanese and I hoped that they were right anyway...

"30 minutes remaining," I heard the woman call.

I was on my last question: In what year did the Taika Reform occur?

625

645

545

650

Crap. I remember this too..._re_form. That would indicate a two, but as I recall, it wasn't two but the second multiple of two. So that knocks out both A and D. What was the first number? Gah, I should know this.

"10 minutes remaining," she warned.

I pondered that question more. Think, Atery, think! Were all the digits even or odd! I sighed. his was taking forever. I thought of what my brother would tell me. 'Always go even. At least your odds are better that way.' Yeah...that's definitely the kind of thing he would say. Alright, bro, here's for you. I'm going to choose 645. And so I did.

"Time," she stated. I folded my pamphlet and she took it up. "Well, Urameshi-san. We will have this graded in a couple of hours for you. You can go to the library and wait there if you like. Lunch break is in an hour so then you can eat and mingle until we call you over the intercom. Thank you very much for applying to Shiritsu Meiō Gakkō."

I smiled and followed her out of the room. The library wasn't too far away. There I settled down with Dante's Inferno and waited until the students started to bustle to the lunch groups. I looked up from my book and saw Shuichi standing in the doorway of the library.

"So how did your test go?" he asked quietly. I left the book on the table and approached him. The redhead exited the library and waited for me to follow.

"I believe I did well enough. How are your classes so far?"

"Well. I packed us both a bento if you would like to eat. I figured you wouldn't have a lunch today. I'm sure you weren't expecting to be here so long." We walked outside and sat under a large tree. There we ate and talked a bit more about things, mostly about the school and how things work. Turns out, there is actually a hierarchy here and that right now I am on the lowest rank due to my sudden arrival. I laughed. I never actually thought I would be the lowest in any rank. Oh well, I guess it happens, even to princesses.

After lunch, I was summoned to the counsellor's office again. "We were very surprised! You only missed two problems out of the entire test! We would absolutely love to have you attend Shiritsu Meiō Gakkō, Urameshi-san!"

I only missed two problems! Wow. Way to go, me!

"Here is your uniform with the correct measurements as stated on your paperwork." She handed me a pink and white school uniform. So this school gives you uniforms? That's weird...I've never heard of that before. Maybe it is because this is a high-standing place?

"This is your new schedule and your classes start first thing in the morning!" She handed me a sheet of paper.

"Is there anything else I need to do here, or am I to leave now?" I asked. I didn't want to skip out on anything if I had to.

The lady shook her head, "No. You are free to leave now."

I bowed to her in gratitude, put my schedule in my bag and then left to return to Master Genkai's. Maybe I might learn to love this place. "Would you be proud of me, Mama?" I asked quietly as I gazed up into the light blue sky.


End file.
